IMAGINE
I have been following Ashutosh Tiwari's Strictly Business columns ever since he started writing them for Nepali Times. However, in the past I have been put off by the tone of his articles. He has come across as an arrogant know it all. But he has redeemed himself with 'Imagine' (#338) it made my imagination come true. It is by far one of the best articles I have seen in your paper. It is honest, thought provoking, inspiring and, of course, imaginative. Thank you John Tiwari Lennon for a great melody this week.

Bal K Joshi,
email

. Your editorial 'Disarming candour' was itself full of disarming candour. It left me and my colleagues wondering if the political charade being played out with arms management has exceeded its redundancy. The Maoists say they are now firmly on the democratic path, but are not willing to quit Prachanda Path. The biggest proof of this is to show that they have handed in only one weapon for every 10 guerrillas. Who are they trying to fool? OK, the UN fell for it, but the Nepali people haven't. The Maoists have made fools of themselves to think that they can fool us. Most find it hard to digest the explanation that the discrepancy in guns and guerrillas is due to a 'frantic recruitment drive' or 'guns were washed away by floods'. The Prachanda Pathists have a lot to learn from Mao's mentor, Sun Tzu.

J Argon,
email

. Time and again I express my views rather remotely as an unseasoned outsider. Often praised, occasionally laughed and brushed aside by both Nepalis in Nepal and abroad. Whatever turmoil Nepal may be going through over the years, perhaps the most dangerous game of all is being played by the Madhesi Mukti Morcha. It may be an agitation for fair representation, but it could turn Nepal into Bosnia. Before the sparks ignite the armoury we must stop playing games and find a meaningful political resolution. A multi-cultural Nepal needs a system of balance so that those clamouring for rights also realise that they have the responsibility to respect the rights of others.

Yagya Kanta Rai,
Farnborough, UK

. Bullet power is again trying to obstruct ballot power in June. The Maoists are ultra-vocal that the elections need to be held on time, but their deeds are just delaying the polls. They have registered almost 10 times fewer weapons than guerrillas. There are very few takers to their childish explanation about unregistered lethal weapons having been lost to floods and fire. Next, their MP openly threatens to use his gun in parliament. If Maoists have gone crazy, should the rest of Nepal pretend to be dumb? No government can be pro-public and no election can be fair under the shadow of arms. Since Nepal cannot be an exemption from this, the conscious citizenry must speak-out impartially, in full voice, not for any political line and save this dear country from a political catastrophe.

Pradeepta Sharma,
Mumbai

. Re: 'Equal opportunity poverty' (#338). Alok Bohara and Mani Nepal have researched their subject, but here is another point of view:
1. The accompanying map shows that except Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari and Chitwan ( where populations are predominantly pahadi), all the tarai districts have high incidences of poverty. Isn't it surprising that a 'resource-rich' tarai didn't fare well in the course of development for last few years? It will be interesting to compare the same map using 1970 data. Districts where the madhesi population is concentrated is much poorer than the hills to the north? Why was this overlooked in the otherwise well-researched article? Hope it's not deliberate.
2. Ethnic groups are united by common cultural, behavioural, linguistic, ritualistic, or religious traits, usually but not always on the basis of a common genealogy or ancestry. Madhesis are a distinct ethnic group. Yadav is a caste, not an ethnic group. Arbitary grouping clustering without proper knowledge of social structure of madhesi ethnic groups may lead us to some misleading results. But if one is out to prove something, statistics can be bent.
3. Bohara and Nepal talks about resource sharing and say, '.resourceful regions could refuse to share benefits with less-privileged areas. Imagine the Limbuwan province bypassing the tarai to sell hydropower to India and keeping all the proceeds.' I can't see that happening. There will always be a powerful inclusive central government which will negotiate with the states concerned if a conflict arises. Moreover, the modality of resource sharing can be well defined in the constitution itself. Fear psychosis among few should not stop the demand for ethnic states once we all admit that there has been ethnic discrmination in past. To borrow from C K Lal, sentences starting with 'Bu&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#̵'216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;', 'Whil&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;', 'Howeve&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#̵'216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;', 'Though' to sympathise with the madhesi and janjati cause make them doubtful of the intentions of the ruling class.

Name withheld,
email